


Remnant

by anemoia



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Other, but let me know what you think!, don't see how they would really fit in with the story, i haven't decided on any ships yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2019-09-27 18:03:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17166698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anemoia/pseuds/anemoia
Summary: "A supernova remnant (SNR) is the structure resulting from the explosion of a star in a supernova. The supernova remnant is bounded by an expanding shock wave, and consists of ejected material expanding from the explosion, and the interstellar material it sweeps up and shocks along the way." (Wikipedia)When Obi-Wan takes on his undercover mission, he leaves his relationship with Anakin in tatters. This wouldn't be that much of a problem, except for the fact that if Obi-Wan could hate anyone, it would be Darth Maul. And Darth Maul certainly hates Obi-Wan. But instead of getting back at Obi-Wan directly, he decided that just like how he took his master, he's going to take his padawan as well.Ahsoka just wants a break from this hot mess.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I once bonded with my Gen Chem 1 professor over our love for Ahsoka and what an inspiring character she is for young girls. Please leave comments so that I know what to improve on!

          Anakin and Ahsoka walked down the busy walkways of Coruscant. Holographic ads were displayed in neon colors everywhere they looked. Women advertising new hair and skin products, an ad for the newest kind of speeder were all flashing before their eyes. Ahsoka took a deep breath; taking in the not so clean air that smelled like garbage, perfume, food, and exhaust from all of the speeders. People from all races and classes were moving about. Some were begging for money, others were flaunting the money that they had. Out on the streets, being a Jedi didn’t make them stand out as much. When everyone is trying to stand out no one really ends up standing out. Which is what makes Coruscant so special- at least to some that is.

          Ahsoka looked up at Anakin, who seemed to be lost in thought during their whole walk to the diner. The last time they were here is when Obi-Wan went on his undercover mission used Anakin to make it seem more believable. Except at the time, everyone thought that he was dead, except for Anakin. She could tell that her master wasn’t really over it yet. Every interaction that had taken place between Anakin and Obi-Wan was too stiff and too formal. Even too formal for Master Obi-Wan and way out of character for Anakin. She could tell that what had happened upset him but none of them knew how to approach the subject. Anakin was mad because he had been used, Obi-Wan was mad because of how Anakin reacted and Ahsoka was just sad.  
They approached the diner and walked in as the doors slid open. Ahsoka and Anakin took their usual window seat and Ahsoka had to break the silence.     

          “You’ve been awfully quiet today, Master.” She commented. Anakin looked her in the eye and shrugged.

          “Maybe. Just thinking.” He said.

          “Thinking about what?” Ahsoka asked “The next upgrade you’re going to give R2?” She teased.

          That made Anakin smile, which helped ease her mood in return. “Oh, for sure. I was thinking he would love if I gave him a new paint job.”

“Hmmmmm, I doubt it.” Ahsoka said.

          “What can I get for you?” The waitress droid asked as she rolled over to the pair. Anakin looked at Ahsoka and her response was looking back at him with the same confused face.

          “Um, we haven’t decided yet.” Anakin said to the droid. She rolled away, muttering something about how humans could never do anything fast enough. Ahsoka chucked and looked back at Anakin. He was not as quiet as before, but he was still more standoffish than usual, which really meant something. Her master usually didn’t hold back on his thought about most things but ever since the incident with Obi-Wan, he had been holding back a lot.  
She knew that she wasn’t the only one who noticed this; Master Plo had gone to lunch with her the other day and asked her about Master Skywalker and Kenobi. Specifically, Master Skywalker, since he had also noticed a bit of a personality change in him during and after Obi-Wan’s undercover mission. She told him that she wasn’t exactly sure what had transpired between the two of them, but it was making most of their interactions as a trio very awkward. In addition, she had noticed that neither of them had ever apologized to each other. Master Plo noted that it was probably because they both thought they were right.  
Ahsoka thought that they were both wrong, but she kept that opinion to herself.

          “Hey” Anakin said. Ahsoka looked up at him, hoping that he couldn’t read her emotions very well through the force. She realized that he probably could anyway, but she hoped that he wouldn’t say anything about it.

          “You haven’t been listening to anything that I’ve said. I asked you three times what you felt like having.”

          “Oh, um… I’m not sure.” Ahsoka said sheepishly. Anakin rolled his eyes and smiled slightly.

          “Well you should decide soon before that droid comes back and starts trash taking us again.” He said. The droid never got the chance to come back and trash talk again because as soon as Anakin finished speaking, an explosion tore through the side of the building.  
Ahsoka was flung through the diner and landed roughly on her side. She could hear people shouting for help and running around. As her vision cleared, she saw that the restaurant had lost power and people were running around everywhere. There was a huge smoldering hole torn in the side of the building, making the metal walls look like they were just paper.

          She got up and looked around. Standing in a crouched formation, she spotted the enemy. Six men wearing all black and concealing their faces walked in to the diner through the hole that they had created. They all held large blasters and were pointing them at the customers to make them cower in fear. Ahsoka ignited her lightsabers, which turned all the attention to her. Three of the men pointed their blasters towards her and began to fire. While deflecting blaster bolts, she looked around for Anakin. He usually beat her to getting back on his feet, so she was expecting to see his blue blade in the air. Instead she only saw hers and the blaster bolts coming towards her.

          “Master!” She shouted when she realized that she couldn’t see him.

          “Master!” She called again when there was no response. Growing frantic, Ahsoka dove behind an upturned table and looked around the edges of it. She saw customers hiding and holding each other behind other upturned tables, but none with her Master behind them.

          “Anakin!” Ahsoka shouted urgently. She heard a muffled yell and perked up from behind the table. The other three men had bound Anakin and were trying to take him out through the hole that they had come in from. Anakin struggled to free himself, but one of the men injected him with something in his neck and his body became limp.  
Ahsoka screamed and leaped forward. She couldn’t let her master get taken away. She couldn't. Not after seeing what it did to Anakin. She didn’t want to experience that kind of pain.

         Ahsoka ran forward while deflecting as many blaster bolts as she could. The other three men had noticed that she was beginning to advance and threw and explosive towards her. Ahsoka used the force to help curb the blast and protect the customers. When she looked back up again, her master was gone, and so were the men that took him.  
She ran through the hole that they had come through and out into the busy walkways. There was no sign of any commotion anywhere. It was like they had just disappeared.  
Ahsoka fell to her knees and stared at the ground. She noticed that small puddles were accumulating in front of her and she touched her face. It was wet and warm.  
She didn’t even notice that she had cried. What kind of Jedi was she?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year!

         Ahsoka slowly pulled herself up from the ground and looked around. Police were surrounding the crime scene and questioning the customers. Bright sirens illuminated the destroyed diner behind her. No one seemed to pay her any mind though. Witnesses were huddled up in little groups. Some were having their wounds attended to while others sat and spoke in hushed voices. Occasionally she could hear them whisper words like “Jedi”, “lightsaber” and “missing”.

          “Over there sir, she looks like one of the Jedi.” A woman’s voice said. Ahsoka turned around and saw two cops approaching her from the diner. They stepped over the rubble and walked towards Ahsoka while having their heads lowered in conversation. Their hats covered their faces leaving only their mouths showing.

          “We are thankful for your service.” The woman said. “Many of the witnesses here spoke about your bravery tonight.” Ahsoka smiled back at the woman. Then she looked down as she blinked back tears. Knowing that it wasn’t enough to save Anakin, despite what the police said was beginning to tear a hole in her heart.

          “Thank you” She said softly while looking back up.

          “Do you know why these people attacked the diner this evening?” The woman’s boss asked her.

          “I don’t, but I wish that I did, officer.” Ahsoka responded.

          “Weren’t there two Jedi according to the witness reports?” The woman asked, “Where is the other Jedi?”

          “Gone.” Ahsoka said as her lip trembled. She took a deep breath and tried to release some of her emotion into the force. “He was taken by the attackers.”

          The two cops raised their eyebrows and looked at each other.

          “This is out of our jurisdiction.” The male officer said. “We will need to inform the Jedi council about this and the senate.” He looked back at Ahsoka “Unless you have told them already yourself.”

          “I haven’t yet.” She said.

          “Well we can do it and send in the evidence that we have gathered so far to the senate and council to work with. Get on that, Sergeant.”

          “Yes sir.” The woman said and walked away. Ahsoka watched her pull a comm out of her pocket and begin to speak into it. She could hear Senator Amidala’s voice in the background but tried to tune her out.

           “What is your name?” The officer asked her while pulling out a small black device.

           “Ahsoka Tano.” She stated as calmly as possible.

          “What were you doing at the diner this evening?”

          “Getting dinner with my Master.”

          “How did you get to the diner?”

          “We took a speeder from the temple.”

          “Is this something that you two do often?”

          “When we get the chance to, yes”

          “What were you doing when the attack occurred?”

          “Ordering dinner”

         “What happened after the blast occ-” “Ahsoka!” Obi-Wan called. She turned her head and saw Master Kenobi walking towards her with a grim look on his face.

         “Master Kenobi!” Ahsoka exclaimed, relief evident in her voice. She left the officer and ran towards him.

        “Master I-” She began.

        “Later, Ahsoka. I know what happened.” He turned back towards the officer. “Is there anything else that you need from her?”

        “No, Master Jedi” The officer said and walked away to find his colleagues. Obi-Wan looked back at Ahsoka. “Let's get out of here. We can talk when we are back at the temple.”

         Ahsoka followed Master Kenobi through the busy streets of Coruscant. The same dazzling bright lights from before seemed like they were mocking her. How could they be so bright and merry when she had just lost one of the most important people in her life? Who knew where her master was, or what they were doing to him. Ahsoka tried to sense him through the force, but it felt like it was muted. She frowned; the attackers had given him something that contained a force dampener.

         “Ahsoka, I can sense your emotions through the force.” Obi-Wan said as they turned around a corner.

        “Sorry, Master” She mumbled.

         “It’s alright. I understand. Just try to not let your emotions get the better of you.” He said as they approached the speeder. Ahsoka climbed into the passenger seat and waited for Obi-Wan to start the engine. They took off and flew through the heavy traffic of the city. Ahsoka noticed that Master Kenobi drove slowly (a little too slow sometimes) and safely. The exact opposite of how her master drove her to the diner. She watched as traffic sped past them on the way back to the temple.  
Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka out of the corner of his eye and sighed. Usually she would be telling him about something silly that Anakin had done or updating him on all of the padawan gossip. She was just starting out into the distance with her head turned away from him. Her legs were curled up in the seat slightly, like as if she was trying to make herself seem smaller.

         “When we get back, the council is going to question you, Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan said. She turned to look at him. Her eyes were dull and bloodshot.

         “I know” She said softly. “I’m just not sure what I’m going to tell them.”

         “Tell them the truth.” Obi-Wan replied as the pulled into the hangar.

         “I know, but how?” Ahsoka asked while jumping out of the speeder. Obi-Wan moved to follower her but then thought better of it. She probably needed some time to cool down, but he knew that he had to speak to her later before the council did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my internet search history looks concerning bc of this story.

         Ahsoka hurried through the halls of the Jedi temple. Her head was bent towards the ground as she walked as quickly as she could to her room. She wanted to run, wanted no one to see her, but Jedi don’t run, and Jedi don’t hide. That’s at least what the public perception of them was. Right now, that’s all Ahsoka wanted to do though. She walked into her quarters, sat down on her bed and curled up into a ball.

          She felt like she wanted to cry, but her eyes felt like they had been completely dried. Sighing in frustration, Ahsoka sat back up and looked out the window. The lights from the buildings and passing speeders made it look like as if she was underwater like how the gungans live on Naboo.  
The thought of Naboo brought tears to Ahsoka’s eyes this time. How was Padme going to react to all of this? Ahsoka realized that there was probably a good chance that she already knew what happened and was working with other senators to figure out a plan. Still though, she was really close with Anakin. The way they smiled and laughed around each other so light and free, it reminded Ahsoka about how young they actually were. Her master was the youngest Jedi to ever be knighted, and Senator Amidala is one of the youngest and most successful politicians to date. Thinking about that just made Ahsoka even angrier. Sometimes they both looked so old, but they really weren’t that much older than herself.

          “Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan called, his voice muffled through the door.

          “Come in.” She replied. Master Kenobi walked in slowly and stood by her desk.

          “I thought you would be meeting with the council.” Ahsoka said.

          “I was. They asked me to come get you in person.” She instantly became on guard. Usually Master Windu or Master Skywalker would comm her to meet them in the council chambers. Sending another council member to get someone was rare and serious.

          “I think that we should talk for a bit before heading over though.” Master Kenobi said softly.

          “Ahsoka,” he began “The council wants for you to give your best account of what happened. I know that it’s going to be stressful, and hard to mask your emotions in front of everyone, but I want to tell you that the council…” He trailed off and Ahsoka gave him a questioning look.

          “The council…?” She prompted him

          “The council understands the kind of distress that you are currently in. Well, some of us do at least.” He added with a sad smile. “Ahsoka, right now I am just asking for you to try your best to remain strong. We will find Anakin. We have to.” Master Kenobi stated. Ahsoka stared at him for a moment, wondering if he said it like that because he was trying to reassure her, or if he was trying to reassure himself.

        “We will.” Ahsoka agreed. She got up from her bed and walked towards the door. Master Kenobi followed her out.

        “Well, we don’t want to keep the council waiting, do we?” He said as her door slid shut behind them.

 

        “Should we inject more of the drug?” A voice whispered. “No, not yet.” Another one replied. “He’s not awake yet.”

        “But what if it’s worn off by now?”

         “Then he would have woken up idiot!”

          "I don’t think so. Its main purpose is a force inhibitor, not to keep someone unconscious.”  
This was the conversation that Anakin was currently overhearing. He was using every technique he had ever learned to stay as still as possible. Even then, he could hear his heart beating in his ears, feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins and his body shivering from the cold.

        “Well, why don’t see for ourselves if he’s awake or not.” The first voice that spoke earlier said. The groaning sound of metal straining against metal startled Anakin, but he hoped that the guards didn’t notice.” The first guard stepped inside the cell where he was being held and shuddered while pulling his cloak tighter to his body.  
“He’s probably still unconscious because it’s so karking cold in here.” He walked over to Anakin and kicked him in the ribs. Hard. Anakin wanted to cry out, but he had a feeling that revealing that he was awake would only make things worse for himself later.

       “Well, he looks like he’s still asleep. What should we do?”

  
        “I think that Maul wanted us to bring him to him once he woke up, but he hasn’t ye-” They both froze when they head the distinct sound of Maul’s legs walking against the cold metal floor.

          “Sir, we were-” the second guard began.

          “He is awake.” Maul said. “He is trying to trick you.” Anakin cursed mentally. Trust a (former) Sith lord to figure out what he was doing. Maybe he should have paid more attention when Obi-Wan was trying to teach him how to shield using the force.  
Maul bent down and picked up Anakin by the neck. His eyes flew open and he glared at Maul.  
“If it isn’t the hero with no fear.” Maul snarled into Anakin’s face. “You look very afraid right now though, Skywalker.” He spat out. “What are you going to do? No master, no army, no weapon. You’re just a child who acts like he knows what he’s doing. But I can see through you. I know that you’re lying.” Maul threw Anakin back down onto the ground. He coughed and gasped for air while trying to pull himself up.

         “Inject him again. This time, use the vine snake venom.” Maul said while walking away.

         “We’ll speak again, Skywalker.” He said. The two guards approached Anakin and one pulled out a syringe. Anakin used the force to push them back against the wall and jumped over their bodies to try and make a break for it. He ran out the cell door and began to run down the hall. After about 10 seconds of running however, he noticed that he wasn’t going anywhere anymore. Anakin could feel the pressure from the force closing in on his throat as Maul lifted him up in the air and choked him.

          “Bold of you to try and escape already Skywalker, but I am not surprised by this behavior.” Maul said as he got closer to Anakin. “I know that trying to teach you by instruction won’t work very well, so why don’t we use some examples instead?” The two guards from earlier walked towards Anakin, and one of them was holding a syringe in their hand. “You’ll be setting the example for why it’s a stupid idea to try and escape.” Maul curled his fingers closer together and Anakin gasped for air.

          “Inject him with the venom. Now!” Maul snarled. The guard ran up and pulled up Anakin’s sleeve. He was trying to struggle, but his brain was receiving so little oxygen that the effort to try and thwart the guard ended up being him moving his arm slightly away.  
The guard stuck Anakin with the syringe. Maul released him, and Anakin fell to the floor like a ragdoll. As soon as he had enough air in his lungs, he screamed and screamed, tears streaming down his face as he faded back into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate writing Yoda. Also engineering is kicking my ass, so updates might become less frequent.

            Ahsoka stood in the center of the council room. The gazes of the members of the council felt like they were seeing right through her, down to her soul. The could probably see how she just wanted to curl back up into a ball and hide.

            “Padawan Tano,” Master Windu called out as he leaned forward in his seat. “Can you please tell the council about what happened earlier when you were out with Skywalker?”

            Ahsoka took a deep breath and locked eyes with Master Kenobi for a moment. He gave her a small smile- one that no one else probably noticed.

            “Master Skywalker and I were heading to the diner to get dinner earlier this evening. It’s something that we usually do after a long mission together.” She paused and looked around the room. All of the faces were hard to read, but she could get hits of condolences from Master Plo and Master Kenobi. “We had sat down in a booth and were looking over the menu when the attack happened. The explosion happened by where we were sitting, which is how we were separated.”  Ahsoka stopped to take a deep breath. You weren’t supposed to show your emotions as a Jedi, especially in front of the council, but Ahsoka couldn’t help herself. She was filled with regret and sorrow, which she was pretty sure Master Windu was picking up on.

           “The blast caused me to be flung towards the back of the restaurant. When I got up, I started calling for my master and there was no response. When I yelled, the attackers began to shoot at me. After a few minutes, I saw them carrying Master Skywalker out of the diner. They injected him with something, and that… that was it.” She looked down and tried to not let the council see the tears pooling in her eyes.

          “Do you have any idea who these attackers were?” Master Windu asked.

          “None. They were completely covered, and none of them were force sensitive from what I could tell.” She replied while looking up.

          “This also brings up the question of why someone would want to kidnap Skywalker.” Master Plo mentioned. “He is one of our most successful generals in the army. Perhaps someone has a vendetta against him?”

          “That could be it,” Master Kenobi began “But I have a feeling that it’s something else. Someone more ruthless.”

          “Yourself, Explain, Kenobi.” Master Yoda said.

          “Well, this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened to Anakin before. Usually when it does though, he is kidnapped or injured out in the field. Never on Coruscant, and especially so close to the temple. Whoever is behind this is not only bold but knows what they’re doing.”

          “I agree.” Master Windu said. Ahsoka was surprised to hear that. Usually it seemed like Master Windu only tolerated Master Skywalker, and you could tell when you put them in a room together. “This is the case for most Jedi who get kidnapped and used as bait as well. No one comes this close to the temple.”

          “Well, some do.” Master Mundi pointed out. “Although this is rare, it is very concerning. At the moment, we have almost no idea who took Skywalker and why.” He turned to face Ahsoka.

          “Do you know of anyone who would do something like this, Padawan Tano?” He asked her.

          “None. I had some ideas earlier, but as the council pointed out, they probably would have acted when we were out on another mission, since it would be easier for them to capture Master Skywalker.”

          “Hmmmm, discuss this more we will.” Master Yoda muttered. “Dismissed you are, Padawan Tano.”

          “Thank you, Masters.” Ahsoka said while bowing. She walked as fast as she could towards the elevator. Once she was inside and the doors shut, Ahsoka pushed the button for her floor. Then she let out a shaky sob and leaned back against the wall.

 

          “Masters” Obi-Wan began “This may sound like a stretch, but I think that this might have something to do with Maul.” The room became quiet, and the tension was palpable when the former sith lord’s name was spoken.

          “And how is that?” Mace Windu said.

          “Because he is the only one who is skilled enough to pull something like this off. Of course, Count Dooku would be as well, but that is not really his style.”

            “On top of that, we know that the Count has other things that he has to worry about.” Plo Koon added.

            “But Maul has a vendetta against you, Kenobi.” Shaak Ti added. “I agree, that there is a chance that Maul is behind this. Who else do we know that would be able to pull something like this off? Cad Bane is a skilled bounty hunter, but he isn’t skilled enough to take out someone like Skywalker. Nor is he swift enough to execute something like this. I think that whoever is behind this has been trained in the force. From Ahsoka’s story, the attackers knew what they were doing, and it sounds like they injected Skywalker with a force suppressant.”

            “Agree with Shaak Ti, I do.” Master Yoda said. “The dark side of the force, the attacker has been trained in.” Suddenly, a blue hologram appeared in the center of the room.

            “Chancellor.” Master Windu said while inclining his head slightly.

            “Master Jedi.” The Sith Lord began. “I have heard about what has happened to young Skywalker. My condolences” He said, his voice dripping like poisonous honey.

            “Have an idea, we do, for who is behind this.” Master Yoda said.

            “You do?” The Chancellor replied.

            “Yes, believe Maul is behind this, we do.”

            “Now, we don’t want to jump to conclusions but-” Master Mundi began

            “It’s the only idea we have right now that is plausible.” Master Kenobi said.

            “Maul? I am impressed by his sheer determination.” Palpatine said. “Why would he do something like this?”

            “We are unsure at the moment,” Master Windu said “But we think it could be linked to Maul wanting revenge on Obi-Wan.”

            “Surely there are other ways that he could have done that? And to attack so close to the temple as well. He is bold, but that might be his downfall.” Palpatine said

            “You might be right, your excellency.” Master Plo said. “To attack so close to the Jedi and the senate was foolish. If there is any evidence left behind from the crime scene, we will be sure to find it.”

            “I have no doubt that you will.” Palpatine said before ending the call.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who the hell decided that putting a thermodynamics class at 8:30am was a good idea

            Palpatine laced his fingers together as he sat at his desk. He knew exactly why Maul would do something like this. Skywalker and Kenobi were a close pair- so close that it even made him doubt the effect that he was having on the boy at times. He was also aware that Maul had wanted revenge on not just Kenobi, but on him as well. Palpatine was confident that Maul knew that he had plans regarding Skywalker. He knew that Maul was impulsive, but he was not stupid. He had groomed Maul when he was a young boy as well, so Palpatine was sure he could spot the same behaviors taking effect. The chancellor got up and turned to face the window. Weighing his options, he looked at the pros and cons of interfering. It would eliminate a rival and speed up the process of getting Anakin back with the republic. There was the danger of being revealed to the Jedi- especially if they arrived to perform a rescue mission while he was trying to fight off Maul himself. No, perhaps it was better to operate from behind the scenes. He knew that Senator Amidala and Skywalker were close; she was the Senator in charge of his case. When she approached him about it, he could sense the raw emotion rolling off of her in waves through the force. Carefully composed behind a mask of makeup, she expressed her desire to help The Hero with no Fear.

           

            Yes, that would be the way to do this. It also would help with morale- seeing the chancellor himself get involved with the consequences of the war. Perhaps this would make it easier to sway more determined politicians when they remember the deeds that he has done. No one would deny rescuing one of the republic’s best generals, and no one would dare say no to Palpatine either.

           

            Now came the issue of the Jedi. If Kenobi was not granted the rescue mission by the council- Palpatine decided that he would intervene. He would be granted the mission, and the council would not deny him. He will find Maul for him as well. Kenobi’s attachment to Skywalker was something that he constantly tried to cover up, but it seeped through the force like water leaking through cracks in an old wall.

 

            This then led to the predicament of where to find Maul. Palpatine was certain that he was on Mandalore, but he also knew that he needed to present evidence towards this claim. Then it begged another question- how did he come to know this information? The risk of being interrogated about this was too risky. It would be better to design some kind of political scandal to get the attention of the senate.

           

            With this in mind, the Chancellor began to consider senators that had close ties to Mandalore. Again, Senator Amidala was the senator of choice for this. He knew that she had a close relationship with the Duchess of Mandalore. Perhaps in their meeting tomorrow morning, he would ask her how she has been doing, as a gesture of kindness.

 

           

            A heavy silence filled the room after the Chancellor ended the call. Ahsoka looked at Master Kenobi, who gave her a slight smile.

            “Do we have any information on where Maul could be?” Master Mundi asked.

            “None.” Master Plo responded softly. “We didn’t even know that he was still alive until fairly recently.”

            “So how should we proceed with this investigation?” Master Windu asked “We have practically no information about the incident, who took Skywalker and why. We are going off of a guess that it was done by a former sith apprentice.” Master Windu shared a look with Master Kenobi before continuing “It makes sense, but I feel as though we do not have enough information to proceed with certainty.”         

           

            “The senate and the police will be giving us a report tomorrow around midday about anything that they have found that could be of use.” Master Kenobi supplied. “Based off of the information that they provide us, we could plan our next move.”

           

            “How long.” Ahsoka began, her voice wavering with emotion “How long until we are sure about where to look?” She asked while looking at Master Windu

           

            “Hard to say, it is, Padawan Tano.” Master Yoda replied. “Do what we must, we will. Meet tomorrow we will.”

           

            “Until tomorrow then.” Master Windu said. “This council meeting is adjourned.” The council members rose slowly to their feet from their chairs and began to shuffle towards the exit. Obi-Wan hoped to move faster than the others in order to catch Ahsoka again, but she moved very quickly when she wanted to. He figured that she had caught the first elevator out of the council chambers and was trying to get as far away from them as possible. Not that he could blame her, and it was a behavior that she shared with her master. At the thought of Anakin, a pang of sorrow ran through his body. He wanted to reassure Ahsoka that things would work out in the end, but he himself had no idea.

           

            Master Yoda had always told him that all is as the force wills it. Sometimes though, Obi-Wan though as he entered the elevator to go to his quarter, that the force and himself were seeing things through very different perspectives.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm going through it. i just want this degree. this is also the first time i've written a chapter that is over 2000 words. yay!

Padme slammed her hands down on the desk. Her body was silhouetted by the early morning sun streaming in through the window behind her. Hairs fell out of their place and dangled in front of her face as she leaned over the reports that she had been given. She knew that they were missing something- they had to be. No one would just kidnap one of the republic’s greatest generals without good cause. Especially on Coruscant. She knew that who- or whatever they were dealing with knew what they were doing. They knew how to fight against Jedi, and well too, if the report was correct.

“My Lady,” Dorme began. “You should take a break from all of this. Reading the same papers over and over won’t help you at this point.”

Padme looked up at her handmaiden and sighed. “Something seems off Dorme. I can just tell.” Padme said. “According witness reports, Anakin was taken within the first 10 minutes of the attack. Which meant that they were also efficient at what they did.” Dorme was quiet, her eyes narrowed. Padme knew that she also found this suspicious. There was no way Anakin would go down without a fight, unless he was completely outmatched.

“I think that you’re right, but there isn’t much that you can do about it now.” Dorme replied softly. “3PO, what time is the hearing at?” She asked the droid standing by the window.

“It is as 1200 standard time” 3PO responded. “You have 3 hours and 27 minutes until the hearing will begin. May I suggest that you take a break, Mistress Padme?”

Padme sighed “Maybe you guys are right.” She turned off the data pads that she was reading and stood up straight. She ran her hands through her messed up hair, pushing the stray hairs that fell out of place back.

“I can tell that you’re still thinking about this.” Drome said with a slight smile. “Why don’t I draw you a bath to help you calm down before the senate hearing later today?  
 

Padme’s shoulders visibly slumped- whether if it was from exhaustion or relief to take a break, Dorme didn’t know.

“That sounds like a great idea, thank you Dorme.”

 

Ahsoka and Master Kenobi stood at the doors to the lift that would take them up to the council chambers. She had never seen Master Kenobi pace before- or do anything really that indicated his current state of anxiety, but she was currently watching him pace back and forth while they waited in silence. Usually, Ahsoka didn’t mind the silence that would fall between them occasionally. It was usually a content silence. This was tense; Ahsoka could sense Master Kenobi’s shields leaking, and was feeling the worry, fear, and anger that were slipping out on occasion. Maybe if she had slept the night before, she would also have enough energy to pace around as well, but she spent the whole night tossing and turning instead.

What had happened just kept replaying in her head, but each time it did, she could always think of something that she could have don’t differently- should have done differently, and then maybe Anakin would still be here with them. A dark part of herself sneered at her, and laughed each time she though of something new she could have done to prevent this. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. Trying to focus on something else, she listened to the constant tapping sound of Master Kenobi’s boots hitting the floor, or the scent of the temple- which always smelled like old paper scrolls to her. The lift made a soft groaning noise, and the doors opened. The pair stepped inside, and watched the doors close.

Master Kenobi straightened out his tunic, ran his hands through his hair, took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. It was comforting to know that no matter what rank someone held, that they were all shaken up by what had happened. They rode in silence. Ahsoka would steal glances of Master Kenobi, saw the dark circles under his eyes, the way his mouth was set in a thin line, and the way his hands were clenched at his sides. As they neared the top floor where the council met, he looked back at her. They shared a small smile and a nod. Trying to encourage each other, but the reality was that neither of them was sure what was going to happen next.

The doors of the lift opened, and the pair walked out. Master Kenobi walked forward to take his seat on the council, and Ahsoka stood back by the entrance, waiting to be called forward.

“Begin, we shall.” Master Yoda said. The center of the chambers lit up with the faces of senators, police and the chancellor. Everyone looked grim, tired, and worn out. Ahsoka tightened her shields as the meeting began. She couldn’t afford to show emotion. Not now anyway.

 

The first thing that Anakin noticed when he woke up again was the cold. Then came the pain. His entire body felt like it was on fire, despite the fact that he was shivering. It felt as if fire was coursing through his veins, burning his body from the inside out, yet the outside part remained freezing. He laid there for a few moments, trying to gather his bearings. The room was mostly dark, except for light that was seeping through the holes and cracks in the cell door. He tried to sit up, but his vision began to spin, and his body only began to hurt even more.

 

“We all know why we are gathered here today.” Master Windu began. “Officer, if you would please.” The police officer sitting next to Padme stood up and began to read his report. Ahsoka was nodding along to herself with what he was saying. They didn’t miss anything as far as she could tell, and the officer even had more witness accounts than Ahsoka was expecting.

“Padawan Tano, does this report sound correct to you?” Master Windu asked her Ahsoka was taken aback that he would ask her that, but then again, she was the only other member of the order that was present when the attack happened.

“Yes, it does.” She said

“Do you know of anyone that would want to do this to your Master?”

“No, I don’t.” She said softly.

 

The nausea was overwhelming, the pain was overwhelming, his situation was overwhelming. Anakin tried to take a few deep breaths to combat everything he was feeling. In and out, just like how his Master had taught him. In and out. But that didn’t work. Anakin rolled over onto his side and threw up what little left he had in his stomach. He hadn’t eaten since the attack on the diner, so it was mostly just painful dry heaves. The bile burned in his throat as he heaved again, and the noise he was making alerted the guards outside his door that he was awake.

 

“Senator Amidala, if you would please read the senate’s decisions.” The chancellor said in a smooth voice.

Padme cleared her throat and stood up. “The galactic senate has reviewed the evidence brought forward by the Jedi council and the senate police. We have come to the conclusion that whoever is responsible for this attack has dealt with Jedi before, due to the efficiency of their plan. According to the police reports, Anakin Skywalker was taken within the first 10 minutes of the attack. This leaves little doubt for us to think that this was not a planned attack. The senate believes that someone aligned with the separatists is involved in the attack, and we believe that would explain why General Skywalker was taken.” She took a deep breath and sat down again. Ahsoka locked eyes with Master Kenobi- he was hard to read now, but she was sure that he saw something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite place. She knew he thought that Maul was behind this. The issue would be getting the rest of the council, the senate, and the chancellor to listen to him.

 

“He is awake, my lord.” One of the guards said to Maul. The former sith smiled, but there was no light, no joy in his eyes.

“Excellent. Bring him to the doctor.” The guard bowed and left to go get Anakin. When he approached the cell door again, he nodded at the other guard, and he opened the door. Moving quickly, they walked in and grabbed Anakin by each of his elbows. His head lolled and he tried to resist.

“It seems as though the venom has already begun to work.” One of the guards said as they began to drag him down the hallway. “But according to the doctor, it wasn’t a lethal dose.”

“You mean this dose wasn’t lethal. We can’t speak about the others yet.” The other guard said.

 

“This all sounds very reasonable.” Master Kenobi said after Padme was finished. “However, I have a suggestion to pose to the room. I believe that Maul is behind this. This is something that I think that he would do, something that he had been meaning to do for a while.”

“We had only known that Maul had survived within the last few months, which is when you last encountered him.” Master Windu said while looking at Master Kenobi. “What makes you think this was his doing?”

“It was too clean. Maul was trained by the sith from a young age. He knows how to take down a Jedi without a problem.”

              “I agree.” The chancellor said, shocking everyone in the room. “We know that Maul is capable of surviving feats that others wouldn’t. We also know that he is a known Jedi killer.”

              “Not to mention, his drive for revenge.” Master Kenobi said. “I think this sounds exactly like something that he would do.”

              “If revenge is what he wanted, why didn’t he take you instead?” Master Mundi asked. Master Kenobi became tense. Ahsoka saw his shoulders tighten, his posture change.

              “Because that would have been too easy.”

 

The guards dragged Anakin down the hall, and then stopped. He tried to lift his head up, but didn’t have the strength. He heard a door creak open, and light flooded his vision. He closed his eyes and tried to look away, but he was dragged into the room. The guards then threw him on top of a metal table, and strapped him down. Anakin tried to turn his head away from the light, but couldn’t move his body. He heard the guards walk away and then he was alone.

 

“Do we have any other ideas for a lead on this case?” Padme asked. The council members looked around- Ahsoka noticed that they all looked slightly lost.

“It seems that we do not.” Master Kenobi said, a slight smile on his face. Ahsoka could feel some of his joy- finally they were going to start looking for Anakin.

“Do we know where we should begin to look?” The chancellor asked. Everyone shook their heads.

“We do know that Maul is working with neither the republic or the separatists. I think we should look at neutral systems first, because it would be easier for him to hide there.” Master Plo said.

“Begin looking we should. Up to you, this is, Obi-Wan.” Master Yoda said. “And you, Padawan Tano.”

 

After some period of time, Anakin heard footsteps. They were getting louder, and closer. He opened his eyes and turned his head. There was someone’s waist there, and a toolbelt. Various tools and pockets were strapped on to it. That isn’t what surprised him though. It was the Mandalorian blaster strapped to this persons’ belt is what he found interesting. Cold hands gripped his face and forced him to look upward. A human face looked back, have covered by a surgeon’s mask.

“You know” A voice said from underneath the mask. “I’ve always wanted to have a Jedi as my patient.”

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> semester is almost over! yay.

              The first thing that Anakin was aware of was the pulsing in his head, and throughout his body. It wasn’t like how the force hummed through his body, but a painful pulse, like as if his heart was trying to beat its way out of his body. The bright lights from the examination room were piercing their way through Anakin’s eyelids. He groaned and turned his head to the side, forcing his eyes to open. A blurry figure stood above him. He could make out a cold smile on a face, and then his vision went dark again.

              When he woke up again, the figure was gone. The pulsing was less intense, and his limbs didn’t feel as heavy. Anakin tried to pick his head up, and look around, but he couldn’t get very far due to the restraint around his neck. He then tried to move his arms and legs, but they were also bound to the table as well. He continued to struggle against the restraints using the limited strength that he had. With no weapons, no access to the force, and a fatigued body, the odds were stacked against him. A door slid open outside of Anakin’s field of view, and footsteps approached him, getting louder.

              “It’s nice to see that you are awake, Skywalker.” A female voice said from above him. Anakin could see part of her waste, the shiny Mandalorian blaster attached to her hip, along with other tools that Anakin wasn’t sure what they would be used for. He didn’t really want to find out either.

              “What do you want?” Anakin asked through gritted teeth.

              “What do I want? What an interesting question!” The doctor replied. “I personally want to see more advancements in the medical field.” She leaned in closer to his ear “And what do you want, Anakin?” She asked him.

              He shuddered as her breath tickled her neck. She smelled like anesthetic, but underneath was a metallic sent. “Well, personally I would like to leave.” He said while jerking his head away from her.

              “Well, you can’t do that!” She said. The way she pronounced ‘can’t’ and ‘that’ led Anakin to believe that this woman was Mandalorian. She had the accent, and the accommodating weapon.  “You’re going to help me with my medical advancements.” She said while stepping away from him. “And once I’ve gotten what I wanted, then you’ll be handed off to Maul.”

              She leaned forward, almost touching Anakin “And do you know what he wants?” She asked him softly.

              “No.” Anakin said in a neutral voice, his eyes looking straight ahead at the ceiling.

              “He wants revenge.”

 

Padme paced back and forth in the living room of her apartment. She was scheduled to meet with Satine at 19:00, and it was almost 20:00. Her dress billowed up behind her as she walked the length of her living room. Her small figure was silhouetted by the glowing lights of upper coruscant. She heard the sound of the door opening and quickly turned around.

“Mistress Padme,” C-3PO began. “Your guest had arrived.” The droid stated before moving out of the way. Satine stepped forward. Her face was covered by a long hood, and the majority of her body was shrouded by a cloak. Padme could recognize the high-quality material, and knew that it was some of the finest that Mandalore had to offer. Padme rushed forward to greet her friend. Satine quickly moved forward and the two embraced.

              “It is so good to see you!” Satine exclaimed while pushing her hood back off of her face. “You know, it is quite tricky to contact those in the senate at all anymore, with all of the new blockades that the chancellor has put up.”

Padme sighed. “I know. Each day I feel as if our freedoms are becoming more and more restricted.” She sat down on the couch. “But how have you been? How are your people?”

Satine sat down on the couch next to her. “There has been an uprising. Many upper level politicians have sided with this new… outsider.” Satine muttered angrily.

“What do you know about this person?” Padme asked while leaning in slightly.

“He is from Dathomir. And he goes by the name of Maul.”

Padme sat their silently, her mouth slightly agape. “The same Maul from all of those years ago?”

“I believe so.” Satine said softly. “I have seen him myself. He looks just as Obi-Wan described him to me.”

“Satine, the Jedi council must know about this.”

“I know.” She sighed “I am worried about my people though. Many of us do not support the republic and their conquests. For their army to come to my planet- it would look very bad.”

“You’re right.” Padme said while leaning back into the couch. “Satine, do you know anything about these people who are staging the uprising?”

“Not really, we are not completely sure who is behind it.” She said while looking down at her lap.

              “I think,” Padme began. “That there is a connection here.” Satine raised her head and look at her with a confused expression.

              Padme took a deep breath. “A few days ago, Anakin Skywalker was kidnapped while here on Coruscant.”

              “Here?” Satine exclaimed. “In the heart of the republic?”

              “Yes,” Padme said while looking outside at the skyline. “In the upper levels too.”

              “Padme, I don’t… I’m sorry. I know that you two are close.” Satine replied softly while laying a hand on her shoulder.

              “That’s not all though,” Padme responded. “When they searched the crime scene for clues, we found some remnants of the weapon they used to ambush Anakin.” She turned back around to face Satine

              “They were Mandalorian.” Satine gasped softly.

              “Do you think that there is some kind of connection?” Satine said. “Maul used to be a sith.”

              “Once a sith, always a sith.” Padme responded darkly. “I’m sure there is some kind of connection between Maul and the uprising on your planet with the sudden kidnapping of Knight Skywalker.”

              She looked out the window. It had started to rain, blurring the lights of the skyline.

              “There has to be.”


	8. Chapter 8

Anakin tried to take deep breaths, doing his best to recall what his master spent years teaching him.

“In and out, Padawan. Feel the force around you flow like water.” He would tell a young, and frustrated Anakin. Now, lying on this cold table, Anakin wished that he could feel anything other than the pain in his body. The thrumming ache of his limbs reminded him of how the force felt when he began to sink into it. There was no force here though, just his thoughts.

In the distance, footsteps were approaching. The doctor was humming a song to herself as she walked around the room. He assumed that she was grabbing certain medical devices for whatever her next experiment was for him.

Suddenly the operating table was being lifted upward. As his body rose, Anakin saw the doctor standing by a control panel, pressing a button. She stopped.

“Skywalker, do you know where your friends are?” She asked him.

He opened his mouth, but didn’t speak. He would not take her bait. She giggled. It was high pitched and childlike, the opposite of how she presented herself. Her laugh sent shivers up his spine- how old was this person?

“That’s what I though.” She said, while peering at him through googles.

“I’m sure they’re looking for me.” Anakin said while staring her down.

“Oh, I’m sure they are.” She said while wheeling over a new machine. Attached to it was a set of wires with nodes at the end. She began to shove them under the skin on his head. Anakin winced with each new piercing.

“The question is really if they’ll find you in time or not.” She said as she shoved another node into his cheek.

 

Obi-Wan walked through the walls of the Jedi temple, pondering his current situation. He was thinking about what he would tell Anakin, once they found him. He wrung his sleeves around his hands, worrying about the best way to tell his friend that he had to do what was asked of him. That even though the council is harsh and the senate is harsh, they are the law. Obi-Wan sighed. Sometimes having no law was better than having a bad law.

He made his way towards the library. A sad smile graced his face. He thought about all of the times that Anakin would wander down here as a Padawan. He never came when he to for classwork, but his curiosity couldn’t keep him away from all of the knowledge that the temple had to offer him. In the library, Obi-Wan thought about the last time he had to come here to search for answers, and how that led to the discovery of the Mandalorian clones, and the start of the war. His mind stuck on Mandalore- Jango Fett, but also Satine, who he hadn’t spoken to in a while. He figured that he should probably get in contact with someone from the planet soon, considering that new evidence was found that proved the weapons to be from Mandalorian origin.

His comm beeped. “Kenobi here.”

“Obi-Wan,” Padme responded. “Are you alone right now?”

He looked around “Yes, why?”

“Someone would like to speak to you.” Padme said in a hushed voice. There was rustling on the other end of the comm before another voice spoke.

“Hello?” She said.

“Satine?” Obi-Wan exclaimed. “What, how are you with Padme right now?”

“It’s a long story,” She said while chuckling “But, I have heard about what has happened to Skywalker. I have information that I can provide you, that I think will help your search. Are you available at 2100?”

“Yes, I am” He responded hastily.

“Excellent. Can you meet Padme and I at her apartment?”

“Yes of course! I will see you all then” Obi-Wan let his arm fall to his side as he tried to calm the swirl of emotions that was inside of him. Fear, joy, sadness, and desperation all churning inside of him.

 

Anakin’s body shook with tremors as electric signals flowed from the wires and into his skin. As the doctor turned different areas on and off, she would take notes at Anakin’s corresponding reaction. Flailing limbs, seizures, screaming, lockjaw, tremors, and hallucinations were all recorded onto her data pad. He lifted his head slowly, his eyes following a blond hair boy walk around the room, holding a model of a ship in his hand. He stopped and looked around. As he turned to face Anakin, he vanished. The doctor replaced his vision. His gaunt face was reflected back at him through her bug-eye like googles.

“You are a very interesting specimen!” She looked down to check something on her wrist. “Maul will be here soon to inspect our… progress. Behave.” She said as she stood up and walked away. She went in and out of focus, becoming three people and then one again.

 

“Master, please let me come with you.” Ahsoka begged Master Kenobi as they walked towards the ship hangar.

“Ahsoka- “He began.

“Please.” She said softly. “he’s my master. I haven’t heard anything at all. How am I supposed to ‘remain calm during these hard times’ when I don’t know anything at all?” Master Kenobi sighed and then smiled. Her persistence and argumentative qualities were both things that Anakin had as well. While Ahsoka was stubborn in her own right, she learned many tricks as her apprenticeship progressed with Anakin.

“Fine.” Master Kenobi said while sighing.

“Yes!” Ahsoka yelled while jumping. She cleared her throat. “I mean, thank you, Master.” She said while bowing. Master Kenobi smiled.

“Let’s go, it’s almost 2100.”

 

“I’m really glad that you all could be here tonight.” Senator Amidala said as C-3PO brought drinks into the room for everyone. “It means a lot. I’m sure that Anakin would appreciate this.”

“I agree.” The Duchess said. “And we have reason to believe that he is being held on Mandalore, or at the very least, by Mandalorians.”

“Why is that?” Ahsoka asked.

“More evidence came back, and the weapons that were used in the attack are Mandalorian.” Master Kenobi said while stroking his beard. “But how can you be sure that they didn’t just buy them from someone else?”

“Well, recently Mandalore has had an uprising. The senate is making sure that the republic doesn’t hear a lot about it, since it’s not directly related to the war.” Senator Amidala responded.

“But,” The Duchess began “The person behind the uprising is Maul.” Master Kenobi sat up straighter and looked back and forth between The Duchess of Mandalore and the senator.

“You think that Maul is behind this?” Ahsoka asked

“Well, don’t you also think that he has something to do with this? We thought he was dead for years; he suddenly comes back. In that same time period, he starts an uprising on a neutral planet. A famous and highly skilled Jedi Knight goes missing, and the attack was done with Mandalorian weapons.” The Duchess responded wearily.

“This all happened within the past six months. There has to be some kind of connection.” Senator Amidala said.

“So, what are we going to do about this?” Ahsoka asked.

“Well, the senate will probably think that we’re crazy.” Senator Amidala said while playing with one of her braids.

“And the Jedi Council won’t be very found of our idea.” Master Kenobi replied.

“Perhaps then” The Duchess suggested “It is better to not tell anyone at all. I am sure that Maul has spies in both the senate and the republic. If word gets out that people are suspicious of him, that could end very badly for us.”

“I agree.” Master Kenobi said. “It is for the best that we tell no one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last update before finals


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My life has been falling apart for the past 2 months, but I am slowly putting it back together. Comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading.

              At some point, Anakin was thrown back into the cell that they had grabbed him from earlier. He came to this conclusion because the next time he woke up, he was laying on a cold stone floor. His whole body throbbed with pain. The room seemed to be spinning, even though he was pretty sure that he was laying on the floor, and doing his best not to move. That didn’t seem to work very well, since seconds later he rolled on his side and threw up whatever food was left to throw up. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to control his breathing, and the vertigo that was threatening to make him either throw up or pass out again.

              “Skywalker.” Maul’s voice growled from the darkness. The cell door slid open, and Anakin could hear Maul’s metal legs hitting the stone floor with each step he took. They suddenly stopped, and Anakin raised his head to see Maul in all of his (former) glory.

              “Get. Up” Maul snarled and grabbed the Jedi by his robes. Anakin tried his best to fight off the grip, but he wasn’t even sure which direction he was facing, never mind where Maul was dragging him to. His head lolled back onto his shoulders, and he groaned in pain as Maul dragged him out of the cell.

              Another set of footsteps approached the cell, only these were lighter and softer than Maul’s. “Doctor, it seems that your experiments have gone… quite well it seems.” Maul said while holding up a barely conscious Jedi knight.

“I’m glad that I could be of service, my lord.” A female voice replied. A comm chirped on her watch.

              “Doctor, it seems as though a republic ship is approaching Mandalor.” A male voice said. “Should we engage them?” She looked back up at Maul.

              “If you leave now with Skywalker, the Jedi will never know that you were here.” She whispered.

              Maul nodded and picked Anakin up, slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before moving quickly towards the hangar. The doctor stood and the end of the hallway, watching him go with a small smile on her face.

             

“Master, we are approaching Mandalore, and should arrive at the surface within the next 10 minutes.” Ahsoka said. The planets barren surface casted a soft light into the cabin of the ship.

“Careful, Ahsoka,” The Duchess warned “If Maul is here, we cannot let him know that we are coming.”

“He is still here, right?” Padme asked while turning to face Master Kenobi.

“I can sense his presence, he is close. I’m not sure how much longer it will stay that way.” He muttered while stroking his beard.

“Well, at least let me do the talking- we don’t want to raise any suspicion.” The Duchess said.

A voice spoke over the comms, causing everyone to jump in surprise. “Identify yourselves, and the reason for entering the Mandalor system.” A male voice with a slight accent said.

“This is Duchess Krzye returning from a diplomatic mission.” The Duchess said into the comm. A moment of tense silence filled the cabin of the small republic ship as the silence from the other side of the comm dragged out. Finally, the same voice spoke again “Welcome home Duchess, please proceed with standard landing procedures.”

“Thank you.” The Duchess said. Everyone in the cabin let go of a breath that they weren’t fully aware they were holding, and Ahsoka steered the ship towards the landing platforms in the capital city.

“Something is wrong!” Master Kenobi said urgently.

“What is it?” Padme asked, worry laced in her voice.

“I can’t sense Anakin’s presence anymore.” He said softly.

“Neither can I.” Ahsoka said. “Master, what do we do? Is this some kind of trick, or…” Ahsoka trailed off, tears starting to form in her eyes, as she began to breathe faster out of fear.

“No Padawan, we would know if he had died. This feels different. It’s almost like as if his presence has been muted. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this was due to Maul and his use of the dark side of the force.”

“Can you still sense Maul?” Padme asked

“Yes, I think he is on Mandalor st- “Ahsoka cut herself off. “Maul’s presence is gone as well.” She said softly.

“What?” The Duchess asked. “Where could they have gone? We would have noticed a ship taking off and flying away.”

“Not… not necessarily.” Master Kenobi said softly. Ahsoka was reaching out to him in the force, trying to find something to hold onto so that her emotions didn’t overwhelm her. He was proud of her efforts, and knew that if Anakin was here, he would have bragged about her capabilities for the rest of the day. Just only when she wasn’t around.

“There are several things that could have happened. If Maul is using a ship with a powerful cloaking device, we wouldn’t have seen them take off and leave, and our sensors wouldn’t have picked it up either. There is also the possibility that force inhibiting drugs are also at work, which I suspect is why we are having such a hard time sensing Anakin’s presence.”

“But why… why would Maul drug himself?” The Duchess asked.

“I don’t think that he did.” Master Kenobi responded. “There are legends, rumors that the sith are able to use the dark side of the force to alter their force presence.”

“And you think that Maul is capable of doing this?” Padme asked.

“It wouldn’t surprise me.” Master Kenobi said while shrugging. “I cut him in half over 10 years ago and he survived. The dark side of the force is both powerful and deadly.” He said softly.

“So how… how do we find them?” Ahsoka asked as she finished the landing procedure and the ship came to a halt.

“We’ll have to ask around.” The Duchess said. “I am positive that they were on Mandalor at some point, or are still here. Maul has struck fear into many of my people’s hearts, and has spies everywhere. Unfortunately for him, my sister and I have also set up a spy network to gain information about his whereabouts. She would have information about his movements and any sightings that may have occurred. I can contact her and arrange a meeting.” The duchess leaned over to grab her comm, and began to speak to another woman.

 

The next time Anakin woke up, he laying on the ground. Not the stone floor from his prison cell, but this was sand, and he hated sand. He sat up slowly, and looked around. The landscape was barren, grey, and he couldn’t sense any life for miles and miles. He turned his head, and behind him loomed a large, black building, the dark side of the force radiating out of it in intense waves that made him shiver, made something in him want to curl up in a ball and hide.

“Get up, Skywalker.” Maul’s voice barked from behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will I ever update my other story? who knows. this is funny because I have like 5 other stories planned out to write. I'm also down for other ppl's story ideas and to collaborate.

“I’ve arranged a meeting with my sister for when we land.” The Duchess said while checking a data pad as Ahsoka steered the ship into the port. “She knows people who have worked and currently work with Maul, and can help guide us.”

              “We will have to thank your sister.” Padme said “What kind of things did she mention when you two spoke?”

              “She was cautious not to say too much over hologram incase we were being watched, or the call was being tapped, but she did mention that Maul has some kind of base on the planet outside of the city that he operates out of. She isn’t sure where it is, but she knows it exits.”

              “Has she heard members of Death Watch talk about it?” Master Kenobi asked.

              “She has. That’s why she’s sure there is one.”

              “And if we can find it, then we can find Anakin.” Ahsoka said, excitement creeping into her voice. It finally felt like they were starting to see some light at the end of this horrible nightmare.

              “We cannot be too sure of that, padawan.” Master Kenobi said. “Maul is masking both his and Anakin’s presence. I don’t want to be a pessimist, but they honestly could be anywhere.”

              “Well,” Padme said. “There’s a good chance that they’re here on Mandalore, and if they aren’t, I’m sure we could find some more information about their whereabouts inside the base.”

              “I agree.” The Duchess said. “I also think that we should be careful not to mention anything in regards to Maul or the republic. Bringing Jedi to a neutral planet already looks like a political statement, and we don’t want to attract any more attention.”

              “I agree. We don’t want to cause any trouble.” Master Kenobi said. “Ahsoka, when we exit the ship, make sure your cloak is on and your hood is up. We want people to think that we are here as an escort for Senator Amidala, not here on a mission.”

              “Got it.” Ahsoka said while reaching down to grab her cloak. They made their way to the door of the ship, where it opened up to reveal guards wearing traditional Mandalorian armor.

              “I tried to inform as little people as possible about our arrival,” The Duchess said while turning to face Padme. “No need to attract extra attention for a friend who is just visiting.” She said while turning to face straight ahead.

              “No need indeed.” Padme said while smiling.

 

The stone walls were damp, the cold air filling Anakin’s lungs and sinking into his stomach. The mist swirled around his feet, and if he listened closely, it seemed like it was talking to him. A harsh breeze would come, and the wind would swirl and scream and scream that sounded just like his mothers. Then there was silence.

              “Interesting, isn’t it?” Maul asked him as they made their way down a staircase.

              “What?” Anakin said, his voice quiet against the sounds of the temple.

              “The dark side.” Maul said. “It isn’t what you thought it would be.”    

              “How do you know what I’m thinking?”  Anakin retorted.

              “It’s easy.” Maul said. “Which is why you’re going to help me.”

              “Why would I help you?” Anakin replied in disgust.

              Maul laughed. “I knew you would say that.” He reached down to get something from his belt, and Anakin reached for his lightsaber- only to realize that he didn’t have it on him. Maul pulled out a small holodisk and turned it on, the recording showing Satine and Padme walking through a port, followed by two people with Jedi robes that covered their faces. He was pretty sure he knew who they were though. The footage looked like it was coming from sort of body camera, given the angle and the quality of the film. Maul pressed a button and it sped up to show Satine walking with Obi-Wan down a hallway, deep in conversation.

              “If you want them to live, you’ll help me.” Maul said with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes. Anakin felt his stomach drop, his skin grew cold and clammy as the worry, the fear and then the anger, which transformed the cold into a raging fire in his heart, trying to take over…

But it didn’t. He took a calming breath, inhaling the cool damp air from the temple and remembering Obi-Wan’s words to him.

              “Breathe, Padawan.” He would always tell Anakin when he got worked up.

“I see you’ve started to listen to your master’s teachings.” Maul whispered to him, his voice blending in with the whispers and wails of the temple “What a shame he wasn’t here to see it.”

Maul continued to walk forward, the sound of his metal legs hitting the stone reminded Anakin of battle droids marching forward. “You know that I will kill them if you do not cooperate. I know their every move, and I know yours as well. You cannot escape.” Maul said with an even tone.

A lighter voice whispered in his ear, giving him hope, that maybe he could over power Maul, take his weapon and make a break for it.

“I can sense your hope, Skywalker.” Maul said. “But you cannot overpower me. Not with that poison running through your veins.”

“Poison?” Anakin exclaimed. “What poison?” He demanded.

“Hmmmmmm, you probably were not awake enough to remember.” Maul mused as he scratched his chin. You’ve been injected with a slow acting poison, and I’m the only one with the antidote.”

The cold feeling was back again, followed by a heavy weight on his chest that made it hard to breathe, hard to see, and hard to feel.

“And that would be the poison starting to kick in.” Maul said as he watched Anakin fall to his knees and grab at his chest. “From what it looks like, I’d say you only have 48 hours left to live unless you get the antidote.”

“How do I know you’ll give it to me?” Anakin said in between gasps for air.

“You don’t” Maul sneered. “But if you behave, then we’ll see.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't major in engineering if you love yourself. I'm back to semi-regular updates though! We'll see how my schedule looks.  
> ALSO I NOTICED I HAD A TYPO IN CHAPTER 9. WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT MALACHOR I MEANT MANDALOR. IT HAS BEEN FIXED. SORRY ABOUT THAT!!!!

Ahsoka began to wander the halls of the palace that the duchess called home. She kept her hood up and her head down to avoid attention, but she couldn’t help the feeling that she was missing something, and that it was right under her nose. She had always been good at being able to sense people’s emotions and feelings, and was using that skill to come to the conclusion that someone why lying. She was sure of it. The force wrapped around her body, anxious and full of warning. As she wandered the halls, people passing her were quick to avoid eye contact, and move to the other side of the hall. She was supposed to help people, and save the galaxy, but these people were afraid to look at her. Afraid to say anything.

              Ahsoka turned the same corner for a fifth time, confirming that someone was following her. She didn’t turn her head around- the fact that he was still following her like this probably meant that her stalker hadn’t noticed that Ahsoka knew he was there. She paused- and listened. A soft male voice was speaking behind her.

              “haven’t found the base yet…”

              “Don’t think they know the location….”

              “Ship factory….”

              “Poison?”

              “wild animals”

              “…on Malachor”

              She drank in every bit of information that she could gleam from the conversation, a hint, some hope, a sign that this would work out.

              “Ahsoka?” A familiar voice asked. Padme was walking towards her from down the hallway, a cautious smile on her face.

              “Senator,” Ahsoka said in her best formal voice. “We should talk in private.” She lifted her head slightly, hoping that Padme would see the urgency behind her eyes.  
             

              “Yes of course.” Padme said while schooling her face into a neutral expression. “In my quarters.”

Ahsoka nodded and the two of them set off down the hallway, tense silence filling the space between the two women as they sped walk down the hallway to Padme’s quarters.

             

              “R2, Check the room for bugs.” Ahsoka said. The astromech beeped a confirmation out and began to scan the room.

              “We’re being watched, aren’t we?” Padme asked.

              “We are. I was being followed by one of Maul’s men earlier.” Ahsoka said while taking off her cloak and sitting down on the couch.

              “How do you know it was Maul?” Padme asked while sitting down next to her.

              “The guy that was following me was also talking to someone through some kind of communication device. I could hear parts of his conversation.” She said while fidgeting with her hands.

              “We know that Maul has a base somewhere around her, and that guy was talking about a base, by a ship factory, and I’m guessing there are also wild animals nearby.”

              “That’s not all though, it is?” Padme asked her while laying a hand gently on top of Ahsoka’s.

              “He… he mentioned poison.” Ahsoka said softly as tears welled up in her eyes. “Do you think that…?”

              “Don’t think like that, Ahsoka.” Padme said in a stern tone while gripping her hand. “We will get Anakin back.”

              Ahsoka wanted to believe her, but she could sense the fear and pain that Padme was feeling. She didn’t believe what she was saying anymore than Ahsoka did.

              “Satine’s sister is coming to visit us soon. We will be discussing the things that she knows, and you can add in everything else that you’ve learned. I’m sure between the two of you, we will have enough information for what our next step should be.”

              “You think so?” Ahsoka asked her while looking up.

              “Not I think, I know.” Padme said with more conviction than earlier. Although Ahsoka figured that faking confidence was part of her job, she seemed genuine here. That they would be able to do something, find their next step and eventually find Anakin.

              That was the goal, at least.

 

Anakin walked through the temple in silence. Maul was a few paces ahead of him, the rhythmic sound of his metal legs walking putting Anakin into a trance-like state. His legs grew heavier with each step he took, and his mind slowly started to drift to the voices that filled the mist and spoke to him about their wishes, desires, failures, accomplishments, and regrets. Between the many voices was the sound of something breathing. Slow, labored, rhythmic breaths, that filled the space. Anakin tried to match his breathing to that of the cave and found that it was surprisingly easy, almost natural for him to breathe slowly.

“Keep up, Skywalker.” Maul’s voice snarled from somewhere in the distance. Anakin couldn’t tell where exactly it came from, since his voice was mixed in with the voices from the mist and the breathing of the cave.

A hand grabbed his tunic. “I said keep up.” Maul’s face suddenly appeared in front of Anakin, causing him to jump.

“The lack of oxygen is starting to affect your thinking. If you want to get out of here alive you need to focus.” Anakin didn’t know what he was talking about, he was having no trouble breathing in the air from the temple, even though it was damp and cold. He had reached the point where he was so cold, he became numb to the dread that was trying to seep into his body. There wasn’t anywhere else for it to go.

 

“Satine.” Bo-Katan said as she paced in front of the duchess. “Maul’s hideout isn’t somewhere that we’re just going to be able to walk into and demand information. We aren’t even sure where it is yet.”

“No, but we have a pretty good idea.” Master Kenobi said while pointing at some features on a holomap.

“Ahsoka mentioned a ship factory and wild animals, while you mentioned seeing people that work for him heading east at odd hours of the night.” He moved somethings around the map. “Here is an abandoned ship factory to the east of our current location.”

“And it’s located outside of the dome, which means that there very well could be wild animals hiding in the surrounding area.” Satine said.

“How far are we from there?” Padme asked.

“I’d say it would take us about 20 minutes to reach that area from our current location. We would have to scan the area on foot after that to look for some kind of entrance.” Bo-Katan added.

“But it’s a start.” Ahsoka said. “Where is Malachor?” Ahsoka asked the group, breaking up the rhythm that had been created in the room.

“Why?” Master Kenobi asked, looking confused.

“The guy that was following me was talking about it earlier.” She said nonchalantly.

“You were being followed?” Master Kenobi exclaimed in alarm.

“I’m fine master.” Ahsoka said and turned to face Bo-Katan who was entering the name into the royal database.

“It’s a planet, with no notable life forms, about 5,000 light years away,” Bo-Katan said.

“Do you think that’s where they are, Master?” Ahsoka asked.

“It’s quite possible that Malachor is the new location that Maul has moved both himself and Anakin. We would be able to sense if Anakin was on this planet, regardless of any force suppressants that Maul might have access to because we would be close enough to him. “

“So… are we heading there or what?” Padme asked with a smile on her face.

“Well, we can’t just do that.” Satine said. “Many of the people that work for Maul are still here, and I’m sure that his base has many valuable things in it.”

“I agree.” Bo-Katan said while looking at her sister. “I think we should split up. The Jedi will hunt down Maul, and we will stay here to hunt down his base, and try to gather as much information as we can.”

Ahsoka smiled. They were finally getting somewhere. The hope filled the force and the room, giving her the strength she needed to continue.

“Then it’s settled. We will take the ship to Malachor.” Master Kenobi said with a slight smile on face.  


End file.
